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Bowers & Wilkins P7 headphones will dazzle your ears and your eyes

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Bowers & Wilkins' P5 headphones bring a glorious audio experience.
The Bowers & Wilkins P7 headphones sound as sexy as they look.
Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac

It’s ludicrous but true: How headphones look can be nearly as important as how they sound. Luckily for anybody who slides a pair of Bowers & Wilkins P7s over their ears, these high-end headphones do double duty. They will bamboozle your ears as well as your eyes.

With a stylish design and sturdy construction of gleaming metal and luxurious sheepskin leather, these aren’t a pair of big, cartoon-like plastic puffballs for your head. The P7s whisper quiet refinement rather than screaming “look at me.” If Beats Electronics’ brightly colored models are like those candy-colored iMac G3s from the ’90s, the P7s are like this year’s stunning iMac with Retina 5K display.

But really, looks are only skin deep. When it comes to music at its most intimate — when the sounds are piped straight from the source and directly penetrate your ear canals — it’s the quality of the audio that matters most.

A third of Steve Jobs’ patents have been awarded since his death

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Steve Jobs's first patent for a 'Personal Computer.' Photo: US Patent Office
Steve Jobs's first patent for a 'Personal Computer.' Photo: US Patent Office

Steve Jobs was a visionary, a futurist and a business genius … but he was also an inventor with more than 458 patents to his name. What better way to spend this holiday weekend than getting yourself up to speed with the inventions of one of the most prolific patenters of the 20th century?

First Star Wars: The Force Awakens trailer is here and it’s glorious

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A mysterious scene from the first trailer for Star Wars: The Force Awakens. Photo: Walt Disney Studios
A mysterious scene from the first trailer for Star Wars: The Force Awakens. Photo: Walt Disney Studios

Star Wars looks like it’s in good hands. The first teaser trailer for J.J. Abrams’ upcoming The Force Awakens has been released, and it’s sure to make your jaw drop.

What’s that random guy dressed as a stormtrooper doing in the desert? Who is that mysterious woman on the flying contraption? And WHAT IN THE WORLD IS THAT WEIRD RED LIGHTSABER OMG?!?

25% of Thanksgiving shoppers relied on iOS devices to bag a bargain

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iPhone owners may not exactly be sleeping on a bed of money, but they still spend more online. Photo: AMC

The availability of cheap smartphones and tablets might mean that Android has a larger market share than iOS, but iOS users certainly spend more.

Analyzing sales trends from Thanksgiving, IBM notes that iPhones and iPads were responsible for far more payment activity online, with average orders worth $118.57 compared to $95.57 for Android.

But that’s not where iOS’s sales triumph ends. iOS also generated more site traffic at 36 percent versus 16 percent for Android. Even more impressive, iOS devices accounted for 25 percent of all sales — next to a minuscule 7 percent for Android.

Ultimate guide to dominating your enemies in Vainglory

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You really need to download Vainglory and get your fingers into battle. Photo: Superevil Megacorp

Chances are, the first time you try your hand at Vainglory you’ll get ganked almost immediately by a crystal-toting Glaive.

If you’d rather avoid that ignominious end, you’ll want to read our guide to all things Vainglory. It’s loaded with tips and tricks on how to kick ass in this excellent iOS game, an Apple favorite that showcases the awesome fun possible in the multiplayer online battle arena genre.

You’ll find basic and advanced gameplay tips, plus a special top 10 list for every hero in the game, right from the developers themselves.

Pretty soon you’ll be the one pwning your enemies with nonchalant ease, just like Scarf Guy.

Awesome iOS 8 widgets that make your Today screen worth tapping

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Clear from Realmac Software has become one of the most adored to-do apps for iOS, but it's no longer just a list-maker. Thanks to support for reminders and its excellent widget, you can finally add important tasks and get alerts when they are due, ensuring you never forget that bottle of milk on the way home, or that important report that's due tomorrow morning.

Get CLear for iOS now for $4.99.
Clear from Realmac Software has become one of the most adored to-do apps for iOS, but it's no longer just a list-maker. Thanks to support for reminders and its excellent widget, you can finally add important tasks and get alerts when they are due, ensuring you never forget that bottle of milk on the way home, or that important report that's due tomorrow morning.

Get CLear for iOS now for $4.99.

Clever hack lets CarPlay run on an iPhone 6

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CarPlay -- coming to a (jailbroken) iPhone near you. Photo: Adam Bell

The first vehicles to support Apple’s CarPlay infotainment system are just starting to appear on the market, but a clever hack from developer Adam Bell means you may be able to get your hands on it sooner than most — and without the need for a compatible in-car infotainment system.

Despite not quite being ready for primetime just yet, Bell’s nifty jailbreak means that users will be able run Apple’s CarPlay software on iPhones and iPads, as seen in the above picture.

It follows hot on the heels of Pangu’s recent iOS 8 jailbreak, which Apple has subsequently (and most likely temporarily) patched.

Get fit and save big with The iHealth wireless activity and sleep tracker [Deals]

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CoM_Wireless Activity Sleep Tracker

You’ve had the turkey with all the fixings.  You went back for seconds and, perhaps, even thirds. Then you had dessert. At Thanksgiving, the food is all so good, you can’t help but to indulge a little bit.

Now that the thanks have been given and the table cleared, it’s time to start thinking about working off those excess calories you just put on. Cult of Mac Deals has just the products to get you moving and get yourself in shape.

How Apple’s pursuit of simplicity helped revolutionize the SIM card

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Swap SIMs no more. Photo: Apple
Your SIM swapping days are over, thanks to Apple. Photo: Apple

One of the neatest and most innovative features of Apple’s new iPads is the unique Apple SIM feature, which allows users to easily switch between different carriers and plans using iOS.

A newly uncovered patent application dates elements of Apple’s concept back to 2009, before Apple even debuted the iPad. Called “Provisioning an Embedded Subscriber Identity Module,” the invention describes a method of obtaining and personalizing an embedded eSIM card, which can be provisioned over-the-air, rather than the pre-provisioned nature of physical SIM cards.

And in true Apple style it was all about one thing: simplicity.

Say goodbye to those ugly labels on the back of your iPhone

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These ugly labels will soon be a thing of the past. Photo: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac
These ugly labels will soon be a thing of the past. Photo: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac

On otherwise flawless devices that strip away any unnecessary components, the ugly small print on the back of an iPhone or iPad — including the serial number, FCC logo, CE logo and model number — has always stood out.

Well, thankfully Jony Ive and the rest of his design-obsessed team can finally do away with it for good, thanks to the E-label Act law signed in by President Obama on Wednesday. The bill, which unsurprisingly was heavily supported by those in the tech industry, means that gadget makers can now add software-based labels as opposed to having to print the identifying information onto their hardware.

Samsung reportedly grabs piece of Apple’s A9 chip pie

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Chips
Is it too early to start thinking about the iPhone 7? Not for Apple's suppliers it's not. Fabrizio Sciami/Flickr CC
Photo: Fabrizio Sciami/Flickr CC

Samsung will snap up the majority of the next generation iPhone A9 chip orders, while Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) will manufacture the chips for the next iPad devices, according to a new report coming out of China.

This differs from the current iPhone 6 devices, where TSMC is reportedly responsible for producing the A8 chips thanks to a deal inked in 2013.

Although it was previously reported that the two companies were locked in a tussle to pick up the Apple orders, Samsung apparently beat out TSMC by quoting Apple lower prices for the 14nm FinFET process production. Samsung has upped its game to secure Apple orders following its posted dismal Q3 earnings, which were down a whopping 60 percent in operating profit from the same period in 2013.

60 percent of users have upgraded to iOS 8

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Photo: Apple
Photo: Apple

iOS 8 adoption figures continue to creep upwards. According to the latest figures released by Apple, 60 percent of active devices are now running the latest version of the company’s mobile operating system. By comparison, 35 percent of users are running iOS 7, while 5 percent are using earlier versions.

Apple last measured iOS 8 usage through the App Store two weeks earlier, on November 10. At that time, 56 percent of users had upgraded to iOS 8. While there’s still a long way before iOS 8 adoption catches up with where iOS 7 numbers were after the same period last year, the gap is starting to narrow.

9 things Tim Cook has to be thankful for

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Tim Cook bores the world with even more amazing Apple products. Yawn. Photo: Apple
Tim Cook has a lot to be thankful for. No wonder he looks happy. Photo: Apple

In between dessert and the traditional food coma on the couch, Thanksgiving offers everyone a great opportunity to take stock of the past year’s accomplishments.

When it comes to looking back at the previous year, sure you can stew over your failures and missed opportunities, but that’s for losers. And coming off one of Apple’s most successful years in history, Tim Cook is no loser.

So what’s Apple’s CEO going to be thinking about when he sits back in a carbohydrate-induced daze? Here are our best guesses.

ICYMI: Gift guides for everyone on your list

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All the gifts you need for those special someones. Cover design: Rob LeFebvre/Cult of Mac
All the gifts you need for those special someones. Cover design: Rob LeFebvre/Cult of Mac

We’re a bit early this week, but wanted to make sure you got all the Cult of Mac goodness in one fine compilation in time for your four-day weekend. Dig in and enjoy a whole slew of gift guides, including those for the women in your life, that special college student, and outdoor adventurers. Plus? Pro tips on surviving that modern ordeal of American culture: Thanksgiving. All that and some of the week’s biggest Apple-related news are ready for you right now. Just download and enjoy!

Dig into Cult of Mac Magazine November 28 Edition, Free on iTunes

Singing, sarcasm & smörgåsbords: New iPhone 6 ad shows off Voice Text

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The more iPhone 6 ads I see with Jimmy Fallon and Justin Timberlake, the more I’m enjoying them as a comedy duo. In Apple’s latest ad for its next generation iPhone handsets, called “Voice Text,” the focus is on the new ability to send and receive audio messages, as introduced with iOS 8’s iMessage service.

For anyone who finds plain text messages somewhat lacking, the ad shows off how voice messages can add a much-neeeded element of sarcasm, let you drop some soulful lyrics, or mean that you don’t have to spell complex words like “smörgåsbord” and “arachnophobia.”

Powder-ready gifts for ski lovers

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Colorado is getting the early season powder but the cloud full. Photo: Jakob Schiller/Cult of Mac
These gifts will get any skier ready for the powder. Photo: Jakob Schiller/Cult of Mac

Here in Northern California we’re still awaiting our first real snow dump of the year.

And while we have our fingers crossed and have been diligently doing our plyometric exercises, we’re still left with plenty of time to build up a big old lust for some new 2014 ski schwag.

Cult of Mac has put together a gift guide for that special fresh-powder chaser on your list. Or, you know, for yourself.

Here’s to a knee-deep powder year for all of us.

Pre-Black Friday travel deals: Invisible Bluetooth Earpiece, ShaveTech USB Razor, more [Deals]

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CoM_Invisible_Bluetooth_Earpiece

If you are traveling this coming holiday, take note: Cult of Mac Deals has some pretty awesome tools that can help make your travels stress free.

Plus, they are all available at rock-bottom prices for a limited time. Check out The Invisible Bluetooth Earpiece, The Travelers Digital Luggage Scale, The ShaveTech USB Razor and The A3 Wallet at Cult of Mac Deals today.

Uber’s data-sucking Android app is dangerously close to malware [updated]

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You might want to think twice before giving Uber your data. Photo: Uber

Uber has been sideswiped by a ridiculous number of controversies lately, but things are about to get even worse for the ride-sharing service. A security researcher just reverse-engineered the code of Uber’s Android app and made a startling discovery: It’s “literally malware.”

Digging into the app’s code, GironSec discovered the Uber app “calls home” and sends data back to Uber. This isn’t typical app data, though. Uber has access to users’ entire SMSLog even though the app never requests permission. It also accesses call history, Wi-Fi connections used, GPS locations and every type of device ID possible.

Natalie Portman in talks to star in Steve Jobs biopic

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Natalie Portman may star in Aaron Sorkin's Steve Jobs movie Photo: WikiCommons

Natalie Portman may play a major role in the upcoming Steve Jobs movie scripted by Oscar-winner Aaron Sorkin.

The actress is in talks to join the film, reports Deadline, and while the details of her role are unknown, she’s expected to play a major part in the movie that will feature Steve Jobs’ first daughter Lisa as the main heroine.

7 pro tips to help you conquer Turkey Day

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Planning to pack on the pounds during tomorrow’s feast? PrepPad will help you cook and eat more responsibly by weighing your food and then connecting to a database of 350,000 items to tell you how much you should eat based on your nutritional profile. Combined with its companion iPad app, the Prep Pad becomes a full scale cooking platform, giving you precise info on how many carbs and calories you’re cramming down your throat. $149.95
Planning to pack on the pounds during tomorrow’s feast? PrepPad will help you cook and eat more responsibly by weighing your food and then connecting to a database of 350,000 items to tell you how much you should eat based on your nutritional profile. Combined with its companion iPad app, the Prep Pad becomes a full scale cooking platform, giving you precise info on how many carbs and calories you’re cramming down your throat. $149.95